# Can I use Google Maps Street View to find a specific house? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 4, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296 "2010-03-04T17:07:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chris\_Luongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Chris\_Luongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chris_Luongo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/1 "2010-03-04T17:07:57Z")
I hope I phrased my question correctly. I tried using the search feature here, and I couldn’t find anything. I’ll use the address 237 Glenwood Street, Malden MA 02148 as an example. Suppose you’ve never been to this address before, but before going, you want to be able to see _exactly_ what’s at this location. Google Maps Link: https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=237%2BGlenwood%2BSt,%2BMalden,%2BMA%2B02148&sll=42.434069,-71.082669&sspn=0.000479,0.001206&gl=us&g=42.434064,-71.082641&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=237%2BGlenwood%2BSt,%2BMalden,%2BMiddlesex,%2BMassachusetts%2B02148&ll=42.434036,-71.082058&spn=0.000958,0.002411&t=h&z=19 Bing Maps gives pretty much the same thing: > **[Bing Maps](https://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&where1=237%20Glenwood%20St%2C%20Malden%2C%20MA%2002148-1120&encType=1)** > > Map multiple locations, get transit/walking/driving directions, view live traffic conditions, plan trips, view satellite, aerial and street side imagery. Do more with Bing Maps. In both cases, the map’s marker points to a probably-unbuildable, rock-covered lot. It’s in the right neighborhood, but not at the exact location. If you look at the map again, in the northwest corner, there’s a very large house at the corner of Glenwood Street and Highland Avenue. The real 237 Glenwood Street is two houses to the east of that large house, with a darker gray roof. For further reference, if you zoom in to street view, on Google Maps it’s a yellow house witha brick front, with a gold older Ford Taurus with a brown roof under the carport: https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=237%2BGlenwood%2BSt,%2BMalden,%2BMA%2B02148&sll=42.434069,-71.082669&sspn=0.000479,0.001206&gl=us&g=42.434064,-71.082641&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=237%2BGlenwood%2BSt,%2BMalden,%2BMiddlesex,%2BMassachusetts%2B02148&ll=42.433949,-71.082633&spn=0.000483,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=42.433949,-71.082633&panoid=L-TAq7uoiZDZ_PeFefBQYg&cbp=12,0,,0,5 Interestingly, if you put the same address into the real-estate site Zillow, it brings up a Bing map that shows the house exactly right where it is: > **[237 Glenwood St, Malden, MA 02148 | Zillow](https://www.zillow.com/homes/237-glenwood-st-malden-ma_rb/)** > > 237 Glenwood St, Malden MA, is a Single Family home that contains 1344 sq ft and was built in 1976.It contains 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms.This home last sold for $145,000 in February 1994. > > The Zestimate for this Single Family is $667,000, which... In summary: If I didn’t give all the above details, but simply gave you the address and sent you to Google or Bing maps, would there be a way to identify which is the correct house? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/2 "2010-03-04T17:35:23Z")
As you have noted, Google does not accurately tie properties to street addresses. If you want accuracy, pinpoint the property with latitude and longitude coordinates. For example, if I enter my street address into Google Maps, the result is far enough off that it shows my neighbour’s house rather than mine. If I enter my exact latitude and longitude coordinates in to Google Maps, the result is my house. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/3 "2010-03-04T17:42:40Z")
In my county, you can go to the county property tax web site and look up the address and there will be a photo of the house. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/4 "2010-03-04T17:53:10Z")
> [@](#): > > As you have noted, Google does not accurately tie properties to street addresses. If you want accuracy, pinpoint the property with latitude and longitude coordinates. But people don’t customarily give longitude / latitude as their address. Look at it this way - it’s about like driving there using a street map. Once you get to the neighborhood, you have to look for street numbers on the houses in streetview. Not particularly surprising - accommodating precise house number data in the various inconsistent street numbering / parcel systems in use from municipality to municipality would add a lot of extra complexity to a general street map database. Specialty real estate sites like zillow have a lot of extra information associated with the properties, probably including precise map coordinates gleaned from the county assessor’s office. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/5 "2010-03-04T17:56:18Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > …accommodating precise house number data in the various inconsistent street numbering / parcel systems in use from municipality to municipality would add a lot of extra complexity to a general street map database. Right. My GPS will often tell me I’ve reached my destination a few houses off from where my real destination is. Same issue. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/6 "2010-03-04T17:56:29Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > As you have noted, Google does not accurately tie properties to street addresses. If you want accuracy, pinpoint the property with latitude and longitude coordinates. This works if you use the same datum as Google Earth. Unfortunately if you’re using WSG 72, 66 or 60 then it won’t probably line up. ---
**Author:** ![Moonshiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@Moonshiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonshiner)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/7 "2010-03-04T21:45:20Z")
I’ve found Bing maps to be much more accurate than Google maps when it comes to addresses, though neither is perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/8 "2010-03-04T22:28:36Z")
> [@IAmNotSpartacus](#): > > This works if you use the same datum as Google Earth. Unfortunately if you’re using WSG 72, 66 or 60 then it won’t probably line up. For Google, best to use WGS84 or one of its updates. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/9 "2010-03-04T23:07:57Z")
In some countries you can, notably Australia. There, the Google Maps (in Map view, not satellite view) show you the property numbers and boundary lines. [Example](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sydney&sll=42.433961,-71.081752&sspn=0.001607,0.002658&gl=us&g=237+Glenwood+St,+Malden,+Middlesex,+Massachusetts+02148&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Sydney+New+South+Wales,+Australia&ll=-33.88953,151.105437&spn=0.003598,0.005316&z=18) ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/10 "2010-03-05T00:25:58Z")
If you are lucky, you may be able to see the actual number on the house of interest or a neighboring one. For examble, I’m at 883 on my street, however, if I position StreetView right in front of my house, it says it is at 896 (it seems to use the even numbers) but I can plainly read the number 883 on my house, so obviously it is off by some. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/11 "2010-03-05T01:44:43Z")
If you know where something is on a map (of the US), you can find its latitude and longitude here: [http://www.juggling.org/bin/un.cgi/map-find](http://www.juggling.org/bin/un.cgi/map-find) (Thanks, jugglers.) ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/12 "2010-03-05T02:00:37Z")
From what I’ve seen you _usually_ can, although house owners in residential areas often get Google to blur their houses, which is understandable. On the other hand, once or twice I’ve seen instances where the street level view was completely off. I tried to “walk” southwards down L.A.'s Main Street, starting with the original Plaza Church on my right. With only one or two mouse clicks, I was already down around where the courthouses are; a block or two was simply skipped. ---
**Author:** ![Curious\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Curious\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curious_Mike)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/13 "2010-03-05T20:29:24Z")
Most Metropolitan areas are devloping property databases using a GIS system these days. A good place to start is looking for the governing municipality’s Property Assessor’s web site. Which for your example I found here. [http://www.ci.malden.ma.us/index.asp?L1=dept&L2=finance&L3=assessor](http://www.ci.malden.ma.us/index.asp?L1=dept&L2=finance&L3=assessor) There you can usually enter a street address to do a search which came up with this. [http://malden.patriotproperties.com/Summary.asp?AccountNumber=210](http://malden.patriotproperties.com/Summary.asp?AccountNumber=210) It even has a photo of the property and a sketch of the building. Some municipalities use a mapping system that you can navigate and get info on any property located in the jurisdiction. Hope this helps. Mike ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/14 "2010-03-05T21:19:02Z")
Used the lat/long thing provided above and got right to my doorstep. BUT, they have my house number wrong on Google Maps. I may try later using Bing, but as I truly dislike Micro$loth, I may have to hold my nose to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/15 "2010-03-05T21:24:40Z")
I routinely use Google Street View to preview my routes to job interview locations. As the other posters have noted, it’ll often give you an actual view of addresses on buildings, particularly office buildings that display the street address prominently. It really helps avoid the “oh shit, I’m lost” thing five minutes before an interview. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/16 "2010-03-05T21:57:26Z")
Entering my address into Google maps places a marker right about at the location of the easy chair in my living room. I might also note that the street numbering changes about 800 feet up the street from me, and again about 400 feet down the street (the numbering isn’t even consistent WITHIN a municipality). If they used those two points to interpolate my address, it should be pretty accurate. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/17 "2010-03-06T01:37:00Z")
> [@J-P\_L](#): > > If you are lucky, you may be able to see the actual number on the house of interest or a neighboring one. > > For examble, I’m at 883 on my street, however, if I position StreetView right in front of my house, it says it is at 896 (it seems to use the even numbers) but I can plainly read the number 883 on my house, so obviously it is off by some. They started showing a plat map for my subdivision in Google maps about 6 months ago. Now when I type my address it is on the correct lot. It was a house or two off before. [Ranfanelli Ct](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ranfanelli+ct,32818&sll=28.609808,-81.491728&sspn=0.015353,0.021608&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Ranfanelli+Ct,+Orlando,+Orange,+Florida+32818&z=17) It was interesting that the plat map showed some new streets on the east side of my subdivision that didn’t show on the map. I sent Google a problem report and the streets are their now. I live in Orange county Florida and I did some spot check in Seminole and Volusia county and they had plats also. I find that Mapquest is often the most accurate and up to date. Mapquest was showing the Maitland Blvd Extension for months before it showed up on Google and it still isn’t showing up on Bing. I love the Birds eye View on Bing though. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/18 "2010-03-06T02:09:54Z")
I have had good luck finding businesses using Street View. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/19 "2010-03-06T02:12:11Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > [Ranfanelli Ct](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ranfanelli+ct,32818&sll=28.609808,-81.491728&sspn=0.015353,0.021608&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Ranfanelli+Ct,+Orlando,+Orange,+Florida+32818&z=17) oh my god. i’m your neighbor! just kidding! ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296/20 "2010-03-06T17:30:45Z")
[quote=“Rumor\_Watkins, post:19, topic:531296”] oh my god. i’m your neighbor! I don’t actually live on Ranfanelli Ct. I used it as an example since I sent the problem report to Google that Ranfanelli, Lochdale and Rundleway weren’t on their map. I moved into Robinson Hills in 2003, before most of the subdivision was built. I was more interested in getting the Maitland Blvd extension on Google maps, since it is the easiest way to get to Robinson Hills from Seminole or Volusia counties. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-google-maps-street-view-to-find-a-specific-house/531296.md?page=2)